Friendship, Love and Children
by Shizuka4
Summary: Taking place in the 17th year of Meiji, Tsubame's sudden and unplanned pregnancy causes everyone at the Kamiya dojo to relive the past, analyze the present, and rethink the future.
1. Default Chapter

Disclaimer: No, no I did not buy the copyright to Rurouni Kenshin while I've been away for over a year now. But it's good to be back either way. Copyright to Rurouni Kenshin or otherwise.

Like I said, it's been a long time, hasn't it everyone. I haven't written anything on any of my other stories, or updated anything, haven't even come to the site to read fanfics much at all. Yes, for a full year I was utterly distracted away from the important things in my life. A lot has happened, and I believe that I've grown in so many ways since I last posted, I do hope it shows through in my writing. So in the last year I've had a few social issues, a few relationship issues, a few family issues, and a few school issues. But then again, who doesn't. I've also started to take a Japanese language class at my local Buddhist temple, so my Japanese has grown considerably better.

But enough about me, I'm sure you're dying to get to the story.

Chapter 1

Friendship, Love, and Children

By:

Paige M.

It was unusually dark, dreary, cold, and snowy down the streets of Tokyo this night, as Kenshin trudged home to the Kamiya dojo slowly along the sidewalk. He had been sent out on an emergency run for sashimi, seeing as the pregnant girl bunking at the dojo had this burning urge for the raw tuna.

As Kenshin walked his familiar path to his home of over five years, he looked up at the ebony sky, watching the little flakes of snow fall softly around him. He stopped, and sighed; these nights never brought him anything but painful memories. Even now, almost twenty years since that day he lost his first love, the memories of her still haunted his dreams, still brought him to his knees sobbing when he was by himself. And even the comforting thought that those days were long gone, the fact he would never kill again, and the love he had from his friends at the dojo, memories of Tomoe still pained him greatly.

He had been thinking more on his past lately; watching someone's stomach grow bigger and bigger knowing she carried a child is what did it. When he was with Tomoe, he dreamed often of ending his life as a killer, and settling down to have children of his own. It took him so long to push away the horrible pain he had every time a little boy run across his path after a stray toy, or a little girl sat primp and proper at her dinner table. The only comfort he found was in knowing he would be able to help a new mother raise her child.

Even if the child was conceived against the mother's will.

Tsubame, now being 16 years old, lived currently at the Kamiya dojo after a fruitless search for help. Being in her second trimester already, sharp cravings attacked her almost daily, and this night it was a craving of raw tuna. Hence Kenshin's quick run to the "Open 24 hours" market.

Lost in thought, he almost walked right past the dojo, only realizing he had arrived at his destination after looking at the gateway and wondering why it looked so familiar.

"Kenshin, hurry up and get in here! Could you have moved any slower?" Yelled Kaoru, who had been on the edge since Tsubame had moved in. She had always wanted a child herself, so she believed that being able to witness another mother close up would give her some idea of what raising a child would be like. But before the child came the mother, so she was always fussy over Tsubame's absolute comfort.

Kenshin waved the retort away, sighing as he slipped out of his zori and stepped inside. Kaoru had already made some rice to compliment the sashimi, so in a rush she grabbed Kenshin's basket from him and hurriedly began preparing the food for Tsubame.

Kenshin sighed once again and sulked off to his room. At the door, he was met by Yahiko, who had come to talk with Kenshin. "Kenshin, I can see you're troubled. There's no fooling me now, I've known you too long, and I've never seen you with such a worried and hopeless expression. You're Kenshin! You should never have to wear such a disheartening face," Yahiko shot at the carrot haired man before him. Kenshin blinked a few times, eyeing Yahiko and thinking a moment on his words.

"Yahiko, I won't deny that I am indeed troubled, and I won't deny that I have never looked such before you all before. But now is not the time for me to be telling anyone what is bothering me. All it will do is upset me further, and cause unnecessary strain for you, Kaoru, Sano, Tsubame, and the others." Whispered Kenshin, his head bowed, reciting the same line he had recited over and over again since he'd come to the Kamiya dojo.

"Oh no not this time Kenshin. Not again with your thing about "unnecessary whatever's." You've gotta understand that we're worried about you Kenshin, we all are. Even Tsubame sees it. You've lost the sparkle in your eyes that I originally met you with. Through thick and thin I saw you with that sparkle, through countless life threatening situations I saw you with that sparkle. And now it's gone. Just, poof up and gone. No warning, no reason, it's just gone. We'd be unnecessarily strained more by not knowing what the problem was." Yahiko ended abruptly, hung his head and sighed. "Kenshin, you're more than just a friend to me, I need to know you're going to be alright…" He trailed off at that, leaving his eyes planted on the floor. Kenshin could tell he was doing all he could to keep tears from leaking from his eyes.

Kenshin sighed as well, and placed his hand on Yahiko's shoulder. "Yahiko, I've gotta talk to you, I think you're old enough to hear what I've wanted to tell you all along."

It was early morning; the sun hadn't shown itself yet on the gray and white streets of Tokyo. Kenshin and Yahiko sat facing each other, Yahiko waiting for Kenshin to collect his thoughts, Kenshin trying to figure out the best way to tell Yahiko what he needed to say. Kenshin took a deep breath, and began. He knew, any way he said it, it would take a bit to say it all.

"Yahiko, I know how you feel about Tsubame, and I know how much anger you bear inside of you towards the man who attacked her, and I understand what it feels like to sit there, helpless in front of the one you love, not able to do a thing. I understand, Yahiko.

"Years and years ago, when I was still just a boy only a few years older than yourself, I understood that kind of pain, that kind of helplessness, as I sat there holding the body of my first love in my arms. The ground was pearly white and sparkly; it had snowed a bit before that moment, but as I sat there her blood began to stain that perfect snow, a crimson pool surrounded us both. I remember no physical pain in my body, though I had several serious wounds I had obtained fighting to protect her. All I can recall is this wrenching feeling in my heart, his unexplainable sadness and rage I felt. I had killed her. Blinded by a daze from my injuries, I was unaware of her presence as I moved to attack my final opponent. She was trying to protect me. She parried the attack he had made on me, but in doing so got in the way of my blade. My sword impaled her frail body, and blood flew. I held her as she slowly bled to death; her final act was to finish the X shaped scar on my cheek.

"Trust me Yahiko, you are lucky, you are lucky to be in the position you are in. You have Tsubame. You can hold her in your arms. And she returns your love. Never lose that. Never lose what you've got with her, and never be careless enough to take her for granted.

"To be straightforward and honest with you Yahiko, the thing that has been on my mind lately, has made me someone who is not myself, is simply despair I still hold from the past, and jealousy I hold for you and Tsubame. You are both well. She carries a child that you both will raise together. You both carry a gaiety and innocence that was lost to me at a very young age.

"I changed too late; my killing days ended too late. Tomoe remains the last person who's blood is on my hands…" Kenshin trailed off at the end of his speech, leaving Yahiko breathless and shocked. They both sat there, in silence, until the sun decided to poke it's head above the horizon. Kenshin rose and walked to the door adjacent tothe one they had entered, and slid it open. It led to the garden of the Kamiya dojo, the sun's first rays sparkling crystal clearly on the newly fallen snow.

"This is why days like these have never since brought a smile to my face, this is why I believe perfect snow such as this has no reason to exist." Kenshin stared out at the garden, at the beautiful sparkle of the flakes that rested lightly upon the ground, and he sighed. His hand rose up out of pure instinct, to wipe away the tears beginning to well in his eyes. Yahiko slowly stood, walking in silence until he stood at Kenshin's side, staring blankly out at the pure white scene.

"Kenshin, I never knew of what happened before you found your way to the dojo, before you rescued me from the men I stole for. I always knew it was bad, I always knew it affected your life in more ways than one. But to see you hurt, the great Himura Kenshin the Battousai, over a woman, it really makes me think about just how much Tsubame means to me.

"Thank you Kenshin, you made me realize just how close to my heart Tsubame is, and what I'd do to keep her there." He stated, never once breaking his stare at the wintery scene before him. Kenshin nodded, and closed his eyes. They stood together at the door until the sun was far up in the sky, simply feeding off of one another's energy, communicating a special friendship between the two with no words at all.

So, first fic in awhile, it's gonna be both serious and humorous, I'm planning on. But I'll only continue it if I get at least two good reviews. So, I'm hoping to get reviews for the first time in ages, I'll be waiting. Please R&R loves from Paige.


	2. Yahiko's Rage

Disclaimer: Of course I don't own this crap. If I did, I wouldn't be spending time writing about it. I'd be writing it.

Well, it's been so long since I wrote the first chapter of this song, and it was even longer since I had posted before that chapter. I am going to get back into writing these things, simply because I had lost my passion for writing before now, and I really need to get back into it. But yeah, story time kiddies. )

Chapter 2

Friendship, Love, and Children

By:

Paige M.

Yahiko sat by himself, at his own table in a small corner of the Akabeko. Not yet old enough to drink, a half empty glass of green tea sitting in front of him on the smooth wooden surface. It was the first time he'd sat alone in the restaurant; he had always come before with friends from the dojo, or Tsubame, to sit, and talk, and catch up. Today he sat there to think. Alone, to think of his predicament.

His hands began shaking with rage, as his thoughts wandered to the blank face of the man who had raped his fiancée. He had never been caught; he had never since been seen since the night that Tsubame was found unconscious under a blooming sakura tree. He had beaten her, he had had his way with her, and he got away trouble free. This man had almost ruined the young girl's life, and he had not paid a cent of his money, or a minute of his time paying for what he had done.

But what upset Yahiko the most about the whole situation, was the fact that he could do nothing to avenge Tsubame. He couldn't do a thing to the man who had done that to her, and he felt so powerless and weak against him. The night that he had seen her brought into the dojo, beaten and weak, a helpless rage filled his heart that he had not since quenched. His hand balled into a fist, shaking almost uncontrollably as he thought of her, and of himself.

Confirming his realization, he threw his trembling fist into the ground beside him, before standing and kicking the table, and his tea, clear across the room. He gave a great yell of frustration, before charging out of the Akabeko, and sprinting his way to the creek.

He had realized, at that moment, that he was not worth Tsubame's love.

"He did what?" Kaoru let out a gasp of surprise as a woman from the Akabeko explained to her all of the damage that her young student had caused earlier that day. The young woman looked at Kaoru with the most serious expression, shaking her head.

"Unless the damage that he did is paid off in full, or he works to fix it, he will no longer be allowed into the restaurant, and you will be responsible for fees that will be charged for the cancellation of his tab, as well as the money that has built up upon it." With that the young woman bowed curtly, before turning on her heel and marching briskly out of the dojo's front yard. Kaoru stared after her, dumbstruck.

"Damnit Yahiko. Do you know how much trouble you actually caused at the Akabeko today? Not only did you cause a bunch of trouble, but you damaged many things there, that will cost so much to replace. You should have seen how furious that woman was, who came by here just to tell us of the stuff you did. We have to pay for the broken furniture, door, and decorations, and unless you go to help clean up the mess tomorrow you will not be allowed back inside. And with that come more fines. We don't have this kind of money Yahiko…" Sighed Kaoru, her voice shifting so suddenly from her fiery rage, to a sorrowful realization sort of tone. Yahiko didn't lift his head, his eyes planted still to the ground, as they had been as Kaoru berated him.

"We don't have that kind of money… Especially with Tsubame living here now…" Kaoru trailed off, her words having a much more profound impact on the young man than she had known. Yahiko winced just slightly hearing Tsubame's name, then shuddered thinking about how much more trouble he had caused the young woman.

He turned, his eyes still fixed to the floor, as he ran from the room he was in, to his own room. He reached down, almost instinctively, pulling his sakabatou, his gift from Kenshin, from its stand. Sliding it into his belt he promptly walked out of the room, being careful to quiet his steps as he passed Tsubame's room. He walked to the door that him and Kenshin had stood at the previous night, sliding it open to reveal the garden of the Kamiya dojo once again. He stared out at the serene scene before him, as he had done with Kenshin.

"I would do anything for Tsubame, just like Kenshin would have done anything for his Tomoe… He ended up killing her; he ended up ruining his beautiful relationship with one fatal accident. What if I'm making the same mistake, what if I'm making a fatal decision that isn't quite as obvious as Kenshin's was? I would never forgive myself if anything happened to her again…" Yahiko whispered to himself, beginning to think about his helpless situation, and about how useless he was to the love of his life.

" I won't let it happen again!" He vowed, voicing his furious thoughts to the silent, snow covered garden. The snow gleamed under the starry sky, as if to say that it understood. Yahiko stepped from the room, onto the wooden porch of the garden. Calmer now, he stepped onto the stone step between him and the slow powdered path, bypassing his zori completely he stepped into the snow, with only his socks between it and his feet. His eyes fluttered shut, his body fully embracing the cold of the ground beneath him. He could feel it run through his body, cool the fiery flames of his anger and hate slightly. His left hand resting on the sheath of his sword, his right on its handle. He took a deep breath once again, shifting his feet almost instinctively into the correct position, drawing fat lines in the snow as he did so. His muscles relaxed, he felt calm at that moment, for the first time in months. Then he snapped.

With one swift motion the sakabatou was parted from its sheath, in a fraction of a second it rested comfortably in Yahiko's hand, his body in the position it would have been at the completion of the Battou Justu. From that position, Yahiko maneuvered his way through his usual training exercises, his parries, his attacks, his evasions. With each move he let out a small 'hyah' just as he had been taught. His eyes still closed, his body moved fluidly from one position to the next, each movement releasing all of the pent up frustration he had carried on his shoulders.

"It won't happen again!" A swift cut to the right side of his body.

"I won't let it happen again!" A perfect parry to an overhead attack.

"Tsubame will be happy!" A deadly slice from left to right.

"I will not fail!" Yahiko's movements became much more rigid, much more planned and practiced. His cuts were swift, his movements were no longer fluid, his eyes squeezed tight shut, he moved over and over through the moves he had been taught.

"I will not make the same mistake as Kenshin did!" His final cut landed abruptly halfway through its performance, startling Yahiko, making him release the katana immediately, falling to the ground in surprise. He blinked a few times, before searching for his fallen weapon. He searched the ground a moment before he finally found it. Its blade was embedded several inches deep into the largest tree of the garden. He had hit the tree blade side forward.

"What's happened to you Yahiko?" A familiar voice echoed through the garden, but the voice was filled with an unfamiliar tone. "I didn't know you had it in you..."

Yahiko turned to see Kenshin standing in the doorway. His face betrayed his emotions, sorrow and disappointment shining in his beautiful lavender eyes.

"What is it, Kenshin?" Yahiko asked, curious to know what the carrot haired man was thinking about. Kenshin's eyes followed Yahiko's path through the snow, his learned eyes being able to tell which movements matched with each set of footprints. He found what he was looking for. The moment where Yahiko had turned the blade around. He realized now, realized what Yahiko had become.

"You will be like me Yahiko. Betray her fast, or you will never learn the truth." Kenshin said curtly, turning on his heel and walking back into the house.

Kenshin had realized that Yahiko had finally cracked, he had finally turned into the man that Kenshin had hoped to stomp out of him years and years ago. With this grim reality he knew that many would fall beneath Yahiko's blade. He'd finally gained the mindset it took to become a murderer. A cold, calculated murderer. Kenshin understood the moment he found when Yahiko had turned the blade around. He realized this, when he saw that Yahiko's sword was blade side forward, even before he began his movements.

When I began writing this I didn't know where I wanted this story to go. While I was writing this, I figured everything out. I know where it's going to go, and I know how long it's going to take to get there. Trust me, you all will love it. Well, please give good reviews so that I may continue my story in confidence. Love from Paige.


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